KT Wiz won the 15th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the NC Dinos 4-0 on Wednesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon. The result, along with their recent two-game winning streak, kept them in third place after sweeping a three-game weekend series. 53 wins, 2 draws, and 45 losses on the season. It was their eighth consecutive winning series, dating back to last month’s series against Gochuk Kiwoom on Nov. 11-13.
Alford was the star of the show. He started in the No. 5 spot in left field and went 2-for-3 with a home run, one RBI, one walk, and two runs scored.
Alford got the offense rolling in his first at-bat. With the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, he singled through the right side of the infield, stole second on a throwing error by right fielder Son Ah-seob, and came home on Oh’s RBI single to center field for the game-winning run.
Alford’s peddle hunt continued. With a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, he extended it with a solo home run. On a 3B-2S full count, he took an eight-pitch fastball (152 kilometers) from Pedi for his second straight double-digit home run. It was his 10th in 12 games since July 29 against Changwon NC. It was also Pedi’s eighth walk-off home run of the season.
After reaching on a fielder’s choice with two outs in the fifth inning, Alford came through again in the top of the eighth to complete a three-hit game.
After the game, Alford said, “I haven’t been hitting well in recent games. Today I was aggressive against the pitcher and I’m glad I was able to help the team win with a home run.”
Alford swung the bat to his heart’s content against the league’s most dominant ace. This season, he’s batted an impressive 6-for-5 (8-for-5) with two home runs, four RBIs, and one walk.
“Korean pitchers use different pitches against me, utilizing different pitches in their arsenal,” Alford said. But I’ve seen a lot of pitchers like Pedi in the U.S., so I tried to be aggressive against him.”
After batting 3-for-6 in June, Alford’s pace slowed dramatically in July, with his monthly average dropping to 2-for-3. He was up and down in August, but his two hits, including a home run, sparked a rebound.
“Hitters go through their own hitting cycles,” Alford said. You can have a slump, but personally I think it was a little long. But I had a lot of good at-bats during that time that didn’t lead to hits, so I tried to stay positive.”
Alford, who has suddenly become KT’s go-to guy, promised to do even better, saying, “The hot weather has taken a toll on my physical fitness, but I want to prepare well for the rest of the games and show better results in the future.” 토토사이트